Artists Studio in Mimbres New Mexico

Moving here and into our new home is a life changing event for my husband Guy and me. We bought a manufacture home from Solitaire, a company in Deming NM and moved into our new home last November. We bought the largest home Solitaire built to accommodate a large 19’x14’ studio for me. 

Our new home from Solitaire

While preparing the yard for the home they dug up a large volcanic ash rock slab which is an interesting conglomerate. We decided this would make an excellent sign with our names and house number on it. Guy fashioned the sign on metal and on the back of the rock he painted pictographs like ones found in this area. I am standing next to the rock so you can see the size of it.

Volcanic ash rock found on the property

 

 

on the back Guy painted pictographs like ones found in this area

 After arriving in Mimbres New Mexico we chose our property in two days because of the spectacular view of the Black Range this lot in Casa Adobes provided. The view centers on Sawyer’s Peak, for those of you familiar with the Black Range. I now have so much beautiful views to paint right outside our front door almost 360 degree views of the mountains.

Front View of the Black Range from our house

 Recently we collected driftwood from an arroyo, with the owners permission of course, to create a natural wood sculpture garden in the front yard.

Our Natural wood sculpture garden

                          

Just for fun, for the extra long steps I placed a metal sculpture assemblage

Guy usually accompanies me on my paintouts and to keep busy he is studying the local plants. We did so much research and planting in Florida, which is a semi tropical environment so now it is exciting to face a whole new ecology, which here in the Mimbres Valley is semi-arid.

Rabbit Bush in bloom

We are fascinated by the profusion of flowering plants, many in large bouquets.  Guy teaches me about the plants he is studying and having more information on them makes me appreciate them all the more. We are sticking to xeriscaping and using native plants in our yard. But most transplanted plants need some watering in season the first two years. We are also not mowing yet, to allow the plants to go to seed. Guy is eradicating invasive and problem plants individually.

Guy on a walk in Casas Adobes

After considering our options, having a studio inside the house we concluded was best for my work and the studio is far enough away from the kitchen and our bedroom so we are far enough away from paint fumes. This was a similar situation with my studio in our previous home in Florida.

19'x14' studio

Please do not let the bare easel fool you, I am working on a few paintings, I am just not showing them yet. The studio is still under evolution along with the rest of the house.

I am very busy both working in my studio and plein air painting outside. Having a studio to myself again is so welcome because while our house in Florida was up for sale we made the studio into a family room so people could better visualize themselves living in the space.

Guy is having a workshop built soon and aside from his own woodworking pursuits he will be cutting panels for my paintings and also making some of my picture frames.

When Guy does get his workshop up and running most of the large shelving I have in my studio will be moving into his workshop.  I also have books on the floor everywhere in the house. Guy will be building a library-office in one of the bedrooms off from the studio. 

Here is the library Guy built for us in Florida

 My studio is called a Den by the folks at Solitaire; hey I could call it my Artists Den!  My Artists Den does not have a door yet and it is not designed to have a door so Guy will build a hanging barn door for it, which I am looking forward to personalizing. I need a door there because there are times while I am working on a painting when I do not want people to see it until I am ready for the painting to be shown.

We hope to have the house completed and ready for a studio tour and show by next fall, 2014.